


Blessed be the Renegades

by firaemnes



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Smut, F/M, I mean not that Dystopian but it has a hint of it?!, POV Rey, Poe Dameron/Kaydel Ko Connix - Freeform, Rey's in for a ride, Secret Organisation, Slow Burn, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Trust Issues, angry boi ben, artist rey, intimacy issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-07-05 01:11:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15853185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firaemnes/pseuds/firaemnes
Summary: "What do you mean she got arrested?" he asked perplexed, meeting the gaze of his mother sitting behind his desk, in his office, in his apartment she had no keys to."She refused to sign the Diplomat's agreement. I even think a brawl might have taken place.  Apparently, she shouted down the entire City Hall as they dragged her off," Leia snickered at the shocked look on her son's face. "I think her words were 'Fine, put me behind bars. I'm not going to marry some tosser. You'll have to drag me by my hair and if you do, I can guarantee you my teeth leave lovely bite marks on anyone who dares to try.'"He was going to have to spend the next ten years with a rascal, Kylo thought, his brow furrowing at the glint in his mother's eyes. She only smiled and lifted the crystal glass towards her lips to take another sip of his whiskey. "I already like her."





	1. Prologue

**The Nova Post**

**Supreme Court to Announce Verdict regarding Skywalker Reinstatement into Hereditary Diplomats Registry**

_by Izabelle Ellis_

_Sep. 01, 2018_

The whole world is looking towards Washington D.C. this morning, where the final Verdict regarding the Skywalker case is expected to be announced any moment now. The Grand Court is due to rule this Friday whether the Skywalker family and its descendants will be reinstated and put back into the pool of possible Diplomat Matches.

The worldwide System which has been put into effect after the 1920 Athens Conference, replaced all monarchies in favour of hereditary Diplomats. Now almost a century after the first marital pact between the Allies and the Central Powers, every country is obliged to make the information of its royal ancestors available to the Grand Court in Washington D.C, where the Headquarters of the Nations Union is based.

Over the years, many have challenged the procedure, even calling it a backdoor legalisation of arranged marriages in favour of reinforcing World Peace and a feeble attempt to prevent conflict between countries to rise again. The fact that the possible candidates are only chosen from descendants of former monarchies only deepens the dispute regarding the practice among the public.

Right now there are 92 serving Diplomat matches, but many of them are about to finish the mandatory 10-year minimum matrimony, significantly reducing the pool of active Diplomat Unions. As it has been over the last few years, the numbers of eligible candidates to be matched are dwindling further, making this court ruling so interesting.

The ban from the Registry was put into effect after Anakin Skywalker's connection to an infamous Russian Terror Organization and his involvement in an attack on a village outside St. Petersburg were revealed, which resulted in the killings of thirty-five citizens including twenty-eight school children.

Skywalker was matched with Padmé Amidala (Diplomat Candidate from Russia) shortly after turning eighteen in 1951, making him the youngest chosen Diplomat to date. As it is still custom, the youngest of the couple is obliged to move and live in the country of their future spouse, as did Skywalker.

He moved to Moscow in 1951, and only a year after their nuptials in December 1952, Amidala fell pregnant with twins. However before she could give birth, Amidala fled to the States to escape the increasing Riots against the Russian Government and its members. Skywalker stayed behind, becoming a part of the inner circles of the terrorist organisation, before being killed during an attack shortly after Amidala's departure.

Amidala was granted refuge in the United States, but after heavy criticism from the public and foreign governments alike, the Skywalker family was banned from being eligible to be matched with candidates on the Registry.

The ban was supposed to be reviewed after a sixty-five year grace period ending in 2020, but the current political unrest in the States, as well as the approaching end of the marital agreement between the current Diplomat couple Poe Dameron (29, USA) and Kaydel Ko Connix (29, NZ), have caused the Grand Court to antedate the reevaluation.

If the court grants the reentry of the Skywalker family into the Register, the only eligible candidate will be the son of former NYC Senator Leia Organa, Ben Organa-Solo (29).

Many criticise the decision to carry out the process two years early, some even going as far as to call it active manipulation to guarantee a successor to Dameron/Connix and obtain the seat of the United States in the 12-seat Council of the Grand Court.

Currently, the Couple holds the prestigious elected position as Head of the Nations Council, but their impending separation later next year will certainly cause a shift in the hierarchy of the Council. If no successor can be determined, the seat of the head of the council will be up for reelection, losing the US their leading position in the intergovernmental organisation.

Lifting the ban could be the only chance for the United States to preserve that seat with Ben Solo who is about to celebrate his thirtieth birthday in four months time.

If he is allowed to take over from Dameron, then his possible match will most certainly be younger than him, making it very likely for them to remain in the US and become the new US Diplomat couple for the next ten years.

Ever since the announcement regarding the reevaluation was made, protests all over the world have made it clear, that the public is not in favour of the reinstatement. Any attempts to reach out to Solo for a statement were fruitless, as he has left the public eye after emancipating himself from his parents at the age of sixteen in 2005. Rumours indicate that he has taken on an alias to avoid further scrutiny from the press after the infamous incident at the New York Embassy in 2003.

Many insiders, as well as politicians, expect the court to rule in favour of the reinstatement, which will make Solo the fifth US Diplomat since the System has been introduced.

Updates to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome to this trainwreck of a story. English isn't my first language, and I do not have a beta. I apologize in advance for any mistakes but I am happy to correct them if you tell me ( I bet there are loads). I am planning on updating regularly and there will be about 25 chapters. This, however, is likely to change the further the story advances.  
> Hope you're well
> 
> xxx


	2. My will, not all the world

_**“-It was confirmed by the United Diplomatic Federation that a match has been found for Ben Solo, a mere six weeks after the historic court ruling reinstating the family into the Registry. No name nor the country of origin have been announced yet, but bookmakers are already busy taking be-“** _

 

Rey Kenobi frowned towards the radio, cursing under her breath at the bloody thing. This had been the second time this week that it had given out on her.  Rey was quickly reaching the point where she would readily grab it and dump it into the bin outside the studio if only to appease her inner sense of revenge.

Just like Rose loved to say, _Out of sight, out of mind._

But she couldn't. Because Maz kept reminding her of the fact that it had been a present when she opened the studio more than thirty years ago. As if Rey couldn’t tell.

There was dried paint all over it, effectively glueing the dial shut and making it impossible to change the station without using brute force. To add insult to injury, the chosen station happened to be the one Maz loved to listen to whenever she had to stay late and take care of “ _business_ ”.

Rey hated it. Seven weeks in and she had yet to hear a single song being played. Sometimes she would catch the morning news bulletin, usually covering stories she’d already read on her phone.

And then there was the talking. None of the words being said made any sense to her. Rey had asked Maz why she listened to it, but the energetic woman only winked and laughed  _if you know what to look out for…_ her voice echoing through the room.

She couldn’t tell if Maz had been messing with her or not. Still, Rey always turned it on, because even nonsense was better than deafening silence.

Rey had been elbows deep in one of the large closets at the back of the room, trying to reach the cup filled with pencils hiding behind an old and dried out looking acrylic paint bottle when the sound had cut off.

She contemplated whether it was worth it to abandon her stance and walk all the way across the room. Usually, giving it a proper whack would do the trick, but when a loud knock sounded from the hall, Rey froze mid-movement.

Not sure if she’d imagined it, Rey held her breath and tilted her head. But no. Just seconds later, she heard it again.

A glance at the clock hanging over the entrance of the room confirmed that it was only shortly after 7 am. Rey frowned. The studio wouldn’t open for another four hours. She knew for a fact that there were no scheduled deliveries, nor any early morning classes planned. Even if there were, Maz would have never let her deal with it on her own. But Maz wasn't here.

Rey chucked the paint bottle into the designated bin as she walked back into the hallway and up to the large green door. Through the stained windows, she could see two large figures looming on the doorstep. She froze. Those two figures were clearly men. Large men.  But this was not an unsafe part of town. Far from it.

Goosebumps pricked her arms.

“Miss Kenobi? This is Officer Krennic. My Partner and I need to talk to you.” A deep voice announced through the door.

Her heart slammed against her ribcage. All at once, it struck her; The man had used her name. Rey had to swallow twice to get past the tight knot growing at the back of her throat.

They were here for her specifically. And she could think of a few reasons why someone would want to send the police for her. But Maz had given Rey her word. It might have been foolish to trust her so easily, but what choice did she have?

Rey jerked backwards, her body preparing itself to take off toward the rear entrance of the studio. A thick feeling lodged inside her chest at the realization that the men must have been able to see her silhouette through the glass.

She pressed her hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. Running was out of the question. And anyway, what if they were here because of something else altogether? Maybe something had happened at the apartment. A fire? A break-in?

Or, and Rey opened her eyes at the thought, someone had told on her. Worse, what if Maz had decided to throw her under the bus after all?

Rey dropped her hand.

No, jumping to conclusions wasn't going to solve anything. And Maz would never betray her. Not like that. Even if the woman was still practically a stranger to Rey, she had treated her like her own from the moment they’d met.  

She drew in a long breath and walked towards the door, the old wooden floorboards creaking underneath her weight.

Rey never thought of herself a coward. And that was not about to change. Her hand was steady as she slowly moved to turn the lock, keeping the security chain attached to the doorframe. Taking one last deep breath, she pulled it open. Peering through the tiny gap, Rey could see a man with short grey hair and cold blue eyes staring back at her, his mouth set into a hard line. He moved something directly into her line of vision. 

Rey screwed up her eyes before suddenly realizing that the something was, in fact, a police badge. Her cheeks warming, she quickly closed the door again to undo the chain lock, before opening it wide. The second policeman was standing a few steps below the man who had introduced himself as Officer Krennic, leaning against the railing.

His poisonous green eyes zeroed in on her, his expression passive as he pushed his weight away from the railing and back onto his feet. His blond hair was perfectly combed, his tie straight and clothes perfectly pressed, though it did little to mask the air of adolescence still clinging to his lanky frame.

His eyes roamed from hers to her feet and up again. When his gaze returned to hers, a smile started to twist his lips into a grimace. Rey narrowed her eyes and tilted her head in a silent challenge, her fear quickly transforming into irritation. But he wasn’t backing down, grinning up at her like a predator ready to pounce.

Both his hands were hooked to the belt at his waist and when Rey noticed the movement of his fingers, her back stiffened. He was stroking a gun.

“Yes?” Rey swallowed, her eyes still on the young man. “How can I help you?”

“Miss Kenobi, we are here to collect you and take you to the City Hall,” the grey-haired officer began but turned his head to follow her gaze when he realised that he did not have Rey's full attention. He shot his partner a glacier melting glare, and Rey was glad that it wasn't aimed at her. The young man's’ ears turned red as he moved his gaze toward the ground. Satisfied, Officer Krennic's focus turned back on her, pinning Rey like a deer in headlights.

“W, What for?” Rey stammered.

“We are not authorized to discuss the matter. If you will please lock up and come with us,” he drawled, pointing at the key in her hand.

Rey pressed her lips together and crossed her arms, taking a deep breath through her nose.

“I can’t. I mean even if I wanted to- which I don’t- I wouldn’t be able to. I have a lecture in an hour-"

"Sorry Miss, but this is non-negotiable." He leaned closer. "In fact, I am required to inform you that if you refuse to come along voluntarily, we are authorized to arrest you and take you there by force."

“I’m sorry, I-I still don’t get- is this necessary?” she asked, eyeing the police car parked right outside the studio.

She’d never been inside one and to be quite frank, Rey had no desire to change that any time soon.

"I am sure the people expecting you at the City Hall will tell you all you want to know. Now, if you will please come with us," he pressed, gesturing impatiently towards the car.

“Can I at least call my boss and let her know? I was supposed to set up class for later today.”

“You can call her in the car.”

Turning slowly, Rey's feet felt like lead as she moved back into the studio to collect her jacket and backpack. As soon as she was out of sight, Rey leant against the door of her classroom and scrubbed a hand over her face. Her eyes landed on the many different renditions of the night sky she had worked on with the children the day before.  They had arranged them on the window sills so the stars wouldn't smudge where the watercolour hadn't dried by the time class was over. This was what she was supposed to do. Collect them and put them in a neat stack on Maz's desk so they could put them up for the parents to see when they dropped off their kids. Instead, she'd have to write a note to let her boss know she might not be here to teach her class at all. 

She couldn’t rule out the possibility that she was in serious trouble. However, they had not outright arrested her, and neither made it any sense that they were going to take her to the City Hall and not a police station. Her skin prickled hot and cold with trepidation at the thought.

This could be it. If they were here because of what she suspected they were, then Rey was done for good.

"Well, shite," she muttered under her breath, and the words seemed to bounce off the walls long after she had locked the door behind her.

\--

She felt like a sore thumb among the many people on the streets and in the cars around her, rushing towards unknown destinations while she was undoubtedly about to be pushed into a well of problems.  

The smell of coffee and rancid fast food clung to the plastic interior of the car.  Her mouth was dry, but she didn't dare to reach for the water bottle in her bag, fearing drawing any more attention to herself. Instead, she turned stoically towards the window, watching the city pass by as they moved south.

It hadn't even registered in her mind that she'd been gnawing on her lower lip until the coppery taste of blood spread on her tongue.

Rey tried not to pay any attention to the glances the younger policeman kept shooting her in the rearview mirror. However, her eyes kept straying back up to his green ones, always watching her with searing intensity.

The growing irritation almost overpowered the nervous chant of ‘shite.shite.shite.shite.’ inside her head. Almost.

Rey willed her phone to ring, but because fortune had never been on her side, its screen stayed dark. Maz hadn't answered, and neither had any of her roommates. There was no one else left to call. The realization that she was all alone twisting her stomach into a familiar ache.

Neither of the men acknowledged the occasional crackling coming from the radio. But Rey jumped every time the static words shattered the silence in the car.

The drive was short. At least it felt short to Rey even though she knew for a fact that it must have taken at least half an hour to fight their way through the dense traffic congesting the streets of New York.

The younger police officer jumped out of the car the moment they stopped, hovering outside her window. Rey went to pull the door handle and get out too, only to find it gone. _Of. Bloody. Course_.

The man sneered down at her through the glass. Rey was no stranger to a power play, but this was just ridiculous. She gave him a hard smile back as he pulled it open, cold air hitting her face. Still smirking, he stuck his hand inside the car as if to help her out.

 _Yeah right_ , she thought and pushed herself out of the seat and onto the sidewalk. He drew his hand back, and Rey would have lied if she said that the frown and slightly hurt expression marring his face didn't please her. _Wanker_.

The wind tousled her hair as they lead her up the steps and through the entrance of the imposing building. She'd never been here, but Rose had. At least she thought she once mentioned that she'd been. Rose would gush about the architecture of the building, yet all Rey noticed was the faint squeaking of her sneakers hitting the polished marble floor. The sound echoed through the long hallway, reverting from the high ceiling and raining back down onto Rey and her escort.

Until, suddenly, they stopped. Blood rushed through her ears, and for a heart-stopping second, Rey worried what exactly sat waiting for them behind the unassuming door. Officer Krennic's hard knock was answered by a weak, "Come in". Though before Rey could comprehend any of it, the older man moved his hand towards the small of her back, urging her forward. He wasn’t quite touching her, but his palm was close enough for Rey to feel the body heat radiating off of him.

They stepped into the room, and Rey pulled back her shoulders, trying to fight the adrenaline climbing up her spine and around her throat.

A sweaty and plump looking man was already waiting for them. The moment his eyes fell on Rey and her entourage, the man struggled to his feet and signalled for Rey to take a seat in front of his desk.

Despite the large window illuminating the man from behind, the room was dark and oppressing. Bookshelves lined the walls, but the sterile way they were organized made them look like an installation in a furniture shop. They were too neat, nothing was out of place, none of them looked like they had been read. A potpourri of cologne and sweat clung to the air, leaving a sour taste on her tongue.

“Please, Ms. Kenobi, take a seat,” the man behind the desk said in a wheezing voice.

Her back was stiff as she walked over to reluctantly pull out the chair he had gestured at, simultaneously looking over her shoulder to see that Krennic had followed her into the office. He gave a minuscule nod to the man behind the desk as he walked to stand beside the window.

“My name is Unkar Plutt,-” the sweating man grunted, offering her his huge meaty hand to shake. Rey slid to the front of her seat to reach out with her own paint flecked hand, but had to fight to keep herself from recoiling when it was engulfed by his clammy paw. Unkar Plutt either chose to ignore her reaction or stayed oblivious to it. Either way, Plutt didn't waste any time and cleared his throat. 

“I am usually responsible for the Finance Department, but due to the nature of this situation, this was the most sensible way to inform you." He paused, and Rey was about to open her mouth when she noticed why he had stopped.

The table he was sitting at was bare, except for an innocent looking blue file. Little did Rey know that she was staring directly at her own version of Pandora's box. Flipping it open, he tore the paper with his abrupt movement and released the doom upon her world.

"Well," he frowned, placing his elbows on either side of the paper, "while I realize that sending the police can leave quite the impression, the chances of someone else getting to you before we could was too big of a risk to do it any other way. I am sure you understand."

Rey's jaw clenched, ready to tell him just what she thought of it all when her eyes landed on a photo attached to the folder with a simple paper clip.

“I take it you do not know why you are here today?” He continued, watching her reaction.  

“No,” Rey murmured, her eyes fixed on that picture. Plutt pulled it towards him as if to hide it from her curious gaze. As if he had the right to, Rey thought. After all, it was a picture of herself. A candid one, clearly taken without her knowing about it.

“Well, this is an unusual situation for us as well. See, it normally falls to the home ministry to inform the parties involved. Actually, I don’t think there has ever been a case where a foreign nation was tasked to inform the selected entity themselves. Strictly speak-”

“Wait, wha-”

“-are not responsible for informing you about being drawn-“

“Drawn from what?” she exclaimed, but he only scowled in response. Rey's gaze darted over to Krennic who was guarding the window like a statue. When she realized that she had been fiddling with the old watch on her wrist, Rey quickly interlaced her fingers and dropped them onto her lap.

Plutt stared at her for a long moment before he offered her the folder.

“Ms. Kenobi, I was tasked to inform you that due to your records you were chosen as an eligible match for the only permissible candidate from the States on the Diplomats Registry,-” he said while she stared at the folder in her hands.

Even if she failed to follow the meaning of his words, her own name on the top of the paper glared back at her like a beacon in a storm.

But there was more. Her social security number, her hometown, the name of her grandfather, her birthday. 

No, wait. That wasn't right. And now that she took a closer look at it, it wasn't really her name printed on that paper either. Sudden relief rushed through her, and the tension in her shoulders lessened with the knowledge that she might have just dodged a bullet.

“My name is not Regina. A- And that isn't my birthday either,” she said, pointing at the date. "See? I am sorry, but this is not me,-” she exclaimed, but when she noticed the look on his face her urge to grin vanished as fast as it had appeared.

“Ah. Yes. We are aware that the information you have given to the authorities when you applied for a student visa differ from those on the Registry, but-“

“Wait. What Registry?"

“The Registry for the Diplomat’s System,-" Plutt glared at her, taking another file from the cabinet beside his desk. He glanced down at it before flipping it open and showing her the document inside of it.

"As you surely know, every government is obliged to enter its citizens into a Registry the moment they are born. In your case, your DNA profile clearly showed many similarities with the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Family line, which in turn gave the United Diplomatic Federation the right to use that data to consider you for the Diplomats Peace Treaty the moment you turned eighteen."

Rey hesitated, glancing over the information, but she couldn't make any sense of it. 

"We are aware of similar cases to yours, where families have tried to prevent their children from being put on the registry so they won't be selected for a Diplomatic Union. But no one has actually managed to remain hidden as long as you have-"

"I wasn't hiddin-"

"But all of that doesn't matter now,-“ he said, handing her another piece of paper. “All I ask of you today is to sign this Declaration of Consent so both governments can start drawing up the necessary documents for the nuptial-"

“No.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“No,” she repeated, her seat scraping as she stood abruptly, bending down to pick up her bag before moving to stand behind the chair. Officer Krennic had also abandoned his rigid stance beside the window, clearly ready to chase after her should Rey decide to bolt.

“I am not going to sign anything until someone can explain what the bloody hell is going on right now,-" Rey said in a low, warning voice. "Until then you'll have to excuse me because I haven’t got time for this nonsenses. Don't worry, I'll see myself out,- ” she added, checking one last time that she had all of her belongings before she turned and walked towards the door.

"Miss Kenobi, you cannot leave without signing th-“ Plutt bellowed, but something in Rey snapped and she turned back to face the two men shaking her head.  

"Do you actually believe that I am going to sign myself over like that? What kind of twisted joke is this,-" she breathed a laugh in disbelief and turned back around to reach for the handle of the door.

"If you leave I will have to ask Officer Krennic to arrest you. I also need to inform you that if you refuse to fulfil your duty to your country, you could face imprisonment for federal treason,-" his voice boomed, but Rey was already back in the hallway where the second police officer looked at her in surprise.

Annoyance flooded her veins at the sight of him but to his credit, he did not stop her as she marched past him. Rey was fumbling for her phone in her bag to call Finn, or Maz, anyone to pick her up and vent to, but strong hands locked around her upper arms in an iron grip before she could fight it.

Fear churned inside her gut, adrenaline pulsing through her limbs. The little blond creep was quick to rush to his senior partners' aid, and from her peripheral vision, Rey saw the silver glint of handcuffs shining from between his eager fingers.

“Don’t you dare,-” Rey warned, bending forward and curling in on herself in hope to loosen Officer Krennic's hold. She almost managed to grab Krennic’s leg and pull it forward to break his stance. Almost. Because, _of course_ he adjusted his footing right before Rey’s fingers could dig into the fabric of his black pants and pull.

She immediately tried to straighten up again, only to find the creep already moving to help hold her down.

She accidentally hit one of them with her elbow as she twisted in their grip and a small part of her might have cheered when she saw the younger one pressing his hand against his nose, bright red liquid trickling from between his fingers. 

But the retaliation came hard and fast. From one moment to the next, Officer Krennic had her pushed against the cold surface of the wall, locking her arms behind her back.

She blinked rapidly, for a second forgetting to fight back at the feeling of cold metal closing around her wrists. But her shock didn’t last long. Rey hurled profanities at the two men, yelling at anyone and everything, desperately trying to get free and maybe even land another blow.

Her lungs burned from the effort to keep up the fight. So did her wrists. But it was useless.  

All she could do was curse at them as they led her back down the hallway towards Plutt's office, baffled looking heads staring after them through slightly opened doors.

_Well, shite._

\--

Kylo was sitting at his desk, his gaze fixed on the fucking folder when Hux barged through the door, looking as agitated as Kylo felt.

The pent-up anger on Hux’s face only heightened the red tint of his hair as he dropped into one of the two chairs in Kylo’s office and reached for the abandoned whiskey on his desk.

Kylo licked his lips, the complexity of the alcohol still unraveled on his tongue, its bitterness clinging to the back of his throat.

The other man clearly didn't condemn drinking at half past eight in the morning.

But then again, Hux was Irish. And what did they say about the Irish... Kylo huffed, he actually couldn't remember, his mind too submerged into the fog of alcohol swirling in his blood.

Hux gulped down the rest of the whiskey in the glass, the scowl on his face hardening. "Guess who just got promoted to play fucking Mary Poppins."

Kylo smirked. "You're welcome."

The man stared at Kylo as if he had just thrown the most revolting insult at his head, complete horror written on his face as he realized what he meant.

He swallowed hard. "What did you do?"

"You didn't actually think that I wouldn't take you down with me, did you?"

"Solo, what did you do?" Hux pressed, but Kylo only leaned back in his chair, letting his head hang over the back of it to stare at the white ceiling of his office, watching the fan spin.

"I might have put in your name when they tried to find a consultant for my future spouse. Honestly, it's hard to remember, I think I was drunk."

"You bastard,-"

"Mhmmm." Kylo closed his eyes, willing the pulsing pain behind his right eye to disappear. This day had quickly taken a downward turn when his phone rang before his alarm clock could, and not even the whiskey was making up for it.

This, and he was sure of it, must be the worst day of his life. And that had to mean quite a lot considering the many shit days he'd already had to endure.

Meanwhile, Hux had refilled the glass, but instead of drinking it right away he only pursed his lips at it and sniffed. "She's a complete novice. They actually managed to pair you up with someone they didn't even know existed. Can you believe that! Fucking ridiculous. I just spent the last four hours clearing her status with the office in London. Bloody pointless when no one seems to know where she came from. And then they had the audacity to accuse us of neglecting our duty to notify them the moment she set foot into the country. Oh yeah, guess what. She actually moved here a few months ago. To New York. Right where you live." He shook his head and tightened the grip on the glass. "I am supposed to meet her later today." 

"Good for you," Kylo murmured, absentmindedly plucking at the cuff of his shirt.

"You are not curious at all,-" he stated irately, but Kylo only lifted his shoulder in a half shrug.

"Do you understand that I am going to be the one who will have to teach her everything you lot usually learn over a period of 15 years?"

"Yeah, still not my problem." Kylo opened his eyes again when no rebuttal came. If looks could kill, then Hux's fiery glare would have easily burned him alive.

However, the shrill noise of Hux's phone cut through the tense mood in the office before anything serious could happen. Like a verbal standoff. Or a fist fight. Either way, Kylo would have welcomed the distraction.

With a rather loud clunk, Hux put the glass back onto the desk and fished the offending piece of technology from his suit pocket, disgust marring his sharp pale features when he got a look at the caller-id.

He didn't even bother to give Kylo a backwards glance as he sauntered out of the room again, already barking at whoever had dared to call him this early in the morning. Kylo hoped that is was that guy from London. 

And because Kylo was, well Kylo, he could not help himself but pick up the glass, raise it in a salute and shout after his retreating form. "Welcome to the family, Armitage."

And because Hux was Hux, his rebuttal was to flip him off through the glass separating Kylo's office from the hallway until he disappeared behind the corner.

Yeah, his day couldn't get any shittier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for your kind response to this fic! I am sorry for the long wait, but I had to sit for several exams, making it impossible to find the time to write. My deepest gratitude to the wonderful AngstyWriter who immediately came to my rescue and offered to Beta this mess I call writing. She not only showed absolute competence and patience, but is also one of the loveliest human beings roaming the internet. 
> 
> So what do you think Rey did that makes her so nervous about the police showing up? What role does Maz play in th entire scheme? 
> 
> And what's up with Maz and her radio? 
> 
> Will Hux survive his new role as Mary Poppins? 
> 
> Speculate away! 
> 
> xxx


	3. We are arrant knaves, all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So four weeks, huh? I have nothing to say for myself. Let's just hope that the next one comes quicker, though from now on I plan to keep them shorter, so fingers crossed?! Oh and they finally meet, so from here on, it's all fun and games. As always, this would not have been possible without the noble and kind-hearted AngstyWriter who not only beta read and edited this chapter but who stood by my side as one of the sweetest and loveliest people on earth. And special thanks to her puppy Sirius, the helpful editing sidekick everyone needs in their lives.

Rey scowled, the door behind her locked. A lone window, albeit a small one, was the only light source of the room, the light beam slowly travelling across the red carpet covering the floor. Someone had opened it, likely in hope to get rid of the musty scent clinging to the walls, but the fumes from the traffic outside weren’t any better. The office was bare, triste and above all, small. Not even the sparse furniture stopped a claustrophobic feeling from creeping up her spine. 

 

Rey looked down at her handcuffed hands attached to the right armrest of a wooden chair, wondering if fate had a twisted sense of humor when it came to leading her down the path that was her life. 

 

It was funny how life could change in the blink of an eye. Just mere hours ago she was peacefully preparing her art class, and the next she was sitting in a tiny office, barred away from the world as if she was an actual criminal.

 

Well, technically-

 

She raised her arms and rubbed the side of her nose, the handcuffs clanking from the movement. No. This had nothing to do with what she did for Maz. So it was useless to jump down that particular rabbit hole right now. Rey knew she probably ought to talk to her about it, just to make sure that what she'd done would never see the light of day. But this? She huffed. This was ridiculous. She had done nothing wrong. Well, except hit an Officer. Yeah. That might have been a bad idea. Rey drew in a long breath, trying to slow the beat of her heart.

 

Oddly enough, sitting in that room on her own didn’t feel that different from living in isolation with only her grandfather by her side. Even though there weren’t any locked doors back then, or handcuffs, the memory of it still triggered the sour taste of rejection on her tongue.

 

Rey slumped in her seat and looked at the only two picture frames in the room. President Dooku stared down at her, face frozen in a serious mask that was probably meant to evoke the feeling of trust and competence. Her nose crinkled as she glared up at his domineering visage. Her grandfather especially never showed any confidence in the system. Although he never outright confirmed it, Rey still suspected it was one of the main factors why they were living so secluded from everyone else.

 

The other picture was of Poe Dameron towering over Kaydel Connix, a timid smile on both their lips. It was the official picture, the one taken on the day their engagement was announced. She couldn't really remember it though. She must have been nine, maybe ten. All she remembered was that she first saw the picture during one of the rare trips she took with her grandfather to the village Ahch-To to pick up supplies they couldn’t grow themselves.

 

For weeks that picture was printed in every single paper and magazine sold in the only shop of the village. Back then she hadn't known what it meant. To her innocent childhood mind, they were two adults in love choosing to spend the rest of their lives together. That bubble, a little orb of air submerged in dark water, burst the moment her grandfather explained the politics behind it.

 

Now Rey knew what the Registry really was. And of course, she was aware of the Diplomatic System of Alliance that had ensnared those two young people almost ten years ago. It was their blood that had sold them out before they even existed. No one ever dared to say it out loud (except for her grandfather of course) but the truth was that they were bred for it, like elegant thoroughbreds born to race around a track to the cheers and jeers of the crowd. Bred to be married off to ensure peace between countries and strengthen their alliance. The engagement, the wedding, their duty as Diplomats. It was a circus. And now Rey was supposed to join that shit show.

 

She touched her forehead, running a scene through her mind, trying to imagine what life would look like if Plutt had told her the truth.

 

Standing beside a faceless man, parading themselves for the cameras and the people eager to devour everything they have to give. Traveling from one country to the next, smiling, assuring, placating those who doubt the United Nations. And for what? To make sure the president gets re-elected? That people believe in the goodwill of the Council? They would turn her and her match into a tool for those with power while pretending to feel honored to carry the title they inherited.

 

 _It explained all the contradictions_ , was the first thing Rey really thought. The different name on her birth certificate. Her grandfather’s secrecy every time she'd asked him about her parents. Her loneliness. The thing was, and her throat closed up at the thought, she could see it. Lining up the events that have steered her life so far, Plutt's explanation would fit like a missing piece into the puzzle of her life. Her parents had been hiding her with her grandfather, tucking her away from the grasp of the system. But was this really their reasoning? Did they leave her so she wouldn’t turn into a pawn on a possibly rigged game board?

 

The sudden sound of voices drifting through the gap beneath the door broke her from her reverie.

 

"This is an atrocity. Unlock that door immediately, or I swear to god-"

 

Rey straightened in her chair as best as the restraints attached to the armrest allowed and turned her head to look over her shoulder at the door. She held her breath. It sprung open, revealing the angriest looking ginger man Rey had ever had the misfortune to come across. She blinked at him, opening her mouth only to shut it again a second later, not really sure what to say. The man was impeccably dressed as if he had just stepped off a runway. The way his straight-cut coat hugged his slender shoulders gave him this air of importance usually reserved for politicians. His wide mouth was set in a thin, hard line, and the angry glint in his green eyes twitched as if ready to set the entire office on fire.

 

His glare flitted over the few items in the room, the dark wooden desk, the empty shelf, the pictures. Saving Rey for last.

 

The young officer standing by the door, (his name was Thompson she had learned), was quick on his heels, nervously fiddling with the keys in his hands. Not so cocky now, Rey almost said, though she stopped herself knowing it would only provoke further retaliation.

 

"Uncuff her," the red-haired man ordered in a heavy Irish accent, but Thompson seemed to be frozen to the spot.

 

 "Now," he bellowed, not even pretending to care when the young man flinched at the command. He hurried over to Rey, but just as his clammy fingers touched her wrists, Officer Krennic stepped into the room, hands behind his back and eyebrows raised.

 

“Officer Thompson, you stay right where you are,-” he murmured, staring at the new addition to the group of men, all of whom Rey would not mind never seeing again.

 

"Who are you?" Officer Krennic said in a low voice.

 

"Armitage Hux, appointed legal confidant and advisor to the next US Diplomat entity. Seeing as that would be her,-“ he pointed towards Rey without even looking, “-my task is it to make sure that circumstances such as these are handled accordingly.” Hux sneered and moved his own hands behind his back, mirroring Krennic's stance.

 

“She assaulted an Officer-“

 

“And rightly so.”

 

“Excuse me.” Krennic bristled.

 

Hux only smiled. “With pleasure.”

 

The Officer narrowed his eyes. “If I were you, young man, I would watch that sharp tongue of yours-“

 

“This is one half of the next US Diplomat Pair. That entails diplomatic immunity-”

 

“She is not a Diplomat yet. So your objections hold no ground.” Krennic argued. Rey's neck was starting to protest from the strain of keeping it turned to watch the ridiculous exchange. Without warning, Hux turned his attention back on Rey again, looking at her as if she was a not very exciting riddle to solve.

 

“Did they harm you in any way?”

 

Rey didn’t know what to say. Krennic was right. She had assaulted an Officer, and by the darkening yellow hue beneath Thompson’s eyes far worse than what they had done to her.  Her wrists were sore, yes, but that was only because she kept moving her hands around, too agitated to stay still for long. Hux followed her gaze down towards her chafed wrists, a triumphant smile growing on his lips.

 

“As I thought. My client seems to be in discomfort." He turned his back to her, giving Rey the perfect view of the unblemished watch on his left arm. It made her own model look like it belonged on a junkyard. "Your superiors will love this. As I am sure will the press. Either way, I’ll make sure that you'll never get another job as an officer again if you don’t release my client this instant.”

 

"You can't do that."

 

"Care to test that theory?" Hux sneered, watching as Krennic's fists clenched. Hux was clearly used to getting his way by bullying others into submitting to his every whim. Rey could see it in his eyes, and how the corners of his mouth lifted the moment it became clear he had won the argument.

 

Krennic himself removed the handcuffs under the watchful gaze of Hux. The moment they were gone, Rey leapt to her feet, eager to put as much distance between her and the two policemen as fast as humanly possible.

 

Hux must have thought along the same line. Distaste was written all over his face as he waited for her to collect her things sitting in the corner. Any doubt whether it was directed at the two officers or at her quickly vanished when he spoke again.

 

“Let's go. I don't have all day,-" he said, a phone already pressed to his ear as he stepped out into the hallway, leaving Rey no other choice but to chase after him. She didn't bother wasting another glance at the two men they left behind. But before they even reached the stairs, Krennic's furious voice nipped at their heels like an icy wave, before fading back into the winding hallways behind them.

 

* * *

 

 

Rey had trouble keeping up with the ill-tempered Hux - no, her attorney she mentally corrected - as he led her through the maze of marble corridors and out into the cold brisk dusk falling over the city. A jet black car was already waiting for them. The driver stood stiffly beside the backseat door, pulling it open as they got closer. Rey stopped. Hux, on the other hand, marched quickly around the vehicle and got in on the other side, barking orders into his phone.

 

Knowing it would be pointless to make a scene right now, Rey did the same, although she did not miss the _Ma'am_ from the driver as he inclined his head before softly shutting the door behind her. The thought of this becoming the new normal - strangers treating her as if she was someone worthy of this sort of courtesy - sat uncomfortably inside her chest.

 

Her fingers slipped over the smooth grey leather as she fastened her seatbelt. Not a second later, the car pulled away from the curb, the people on the sidewalk hardly visible through the tinted windows. She looked over at Hux, his profile shrouded in shadows as he straightened his emerald tie. He was sitting mere inches away from her, an expensive smell wafting towards her every time he gestured with his hand. It didn't help that the interior still reeked of that new car scent, her stomach churning from the mix of leather and cologne. She never got car sick, but the air was so heavy with the fragrance, it was a challenge to keep her mind clear. Rey held her breath. No, better just get on with it.

 

"I want to know what the bloody hell is going on right now," Rey spoke quickly, talking right over his conversation with whoever was on the phone. However, Hux seemed unfazed, words flowing from his lips as if she hadn't spoken at all.

 

She gnawed on her lower lip, letting her gaze shift to the windshield.  The jammed road doused their car in the red glow of the many backlights of the procession in front of them. Everyone else was on their way home, looking forward to dinner and relaxing after a long day, but where were they taking her? A nervous energy began to ripple through her veins and she had to clench her fists to fight off the tingling sensation in her cold fingers, the skin on her wrists where the handcuffs had cut into her tender skin burning from the movement. 

"You should be thankful they didn't use zip ties."

Rey glanced up to meet his gaze. The phone was gone and so was the anger. The sneer she already started to associate him with was replaced by a frown on his lips.

 

"Why? Got experience with those?"

 

He scoffed. "Of course not." Hux turned his head to the side and observed her with thinly veiled curiosity. "Rey- May I call you Rey? Do you have any idea how harmful your little outburst was to not only your own reputation but that of your match as well?”

 

“My out- they attacked me!" she groused. "What was I supposed to do? They just grab-“

 

“Be that as it may, you have to follow etiquette whenever dealing with-“

 

 "So you are..." She interrupted, raising her eyebrows mockingly.

 

"Your attorney, yes."

 

"I was going to say a prick but that works too, I guess." She smiled sarcastically.

 

Hux studied her. "You have quite the attitude," he replied coldly, but Rey was quick to shoot back, "-and you have quite the ego."

 

She saw something flare in his eyes at her rebuttal. It was not quite anger, and it was not quite aversion, but whatever it was, it left Rey feeling like the dirt underneath his shoes.

 

"Look,” she said, “I am grateful you got me out of there, but it's time-“

 

He cut her off. "Do you know what that is?" Hux held up the same folder Plutt had shown her. She glared at it, but he only lowered the file back onto his lap and flipped it open.

 

"Yes. I'm just saying that you made a mistake. You got the wrong person."

 

"Sorry dear,-" He licked his finger and thumbed through the content of the folder.  "But I doubt that. You will have to come to terms with the fact that your life no longer is your own to live. From this moment on, as a Diplomat, you belong to the public. To your home country as well as the country of your match. Welcome to the Diplomatic System of Alliance.”

 

"I want you to do another blood test."

 

"The system is never wrong. You do well to remember that. This is it. The sooner you accept it, the easier this will all be." His mouth twitched. "For all parties involved." He picked a document from the back of the file, eyes quickly scanning its contents before pulling out a pen. "But if you insist, you can ask Senator Holdo tomorrow during your meeting."

 

Rey felt a flash of treacherous hope blooming underneath her ribs. So there could be a silver lining for her after all. 

 

"Though, I have to say that she will tell you the same I just did."

 

Or not.

 

Hux reached into the pocket where he had put his phone, producing a small piece of paper. With the pen in his hand, he neatly wrote several digits on the left corner. "This is the number of my office. As well as my mobile phone number."

 

She took the card, fingering the embossed letters on the paper.

 

Tetan Elite Law Firm LLC

Political Law - United Nations Legislation -

Armitage Hux

Attorney at Law

Legal Consultant

  

"Now listen. Tomorrow, a car will pick you up and take you to your meeting with Senator Holdo. This,-" he lifted the document,- "is the contract you refused to sign. It's a single page. Easy to understand. Read over it." He held out the file to her. "I had my assistant draw up an explanation of the terms used in the contract for you. It's the document at the back of the folder. If things are still unclear, call me."

 

“I am not signing anything. “

 

He hummed. “We’ll see.”

 

"What about him?" she tried.

 

"Who?"

 

"Him. The bloke. Ben Solo?"

 

"He signed the agreement weeks ago. He'll be there too. And so will I. As your legal representative, it is my duty. Unfortunately,-" he muttered, but Rey still heard him clear as day.

 

She had to suppress the urge to ball up the paper in her hand and throw it in his face. But something told her that there was more to this. "Do you know him?"

 

"Something like that." His whole demeanour shifted and an impossibly smug grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. So he knew him. Were they colleagues, friends even? Either way, it left an uneasy feeling bubbling in her stomach. The car stopped and Rey was surprised to find they were right outside her apartment building. She hadn't even noticed where they were headed until this point.

 

Rey shifted in her seat, gathering the document in her lap. "Why me?"

 

The silence in the car stretched uncomfortably. When she looked up to meet his gaze, his expression was closed off.

 

"Why you indeed," Hux murmured.

 

Rey forced down a swallow and raised her chin. Nothing. Not even a splinter of understanding or compassion was visible in his cold green eyes. She didn’t know why she’d expected any.

 

The driver opened the door before she could say anything else, releasing all the warmth of the car and replacing it with the freezing autumn air. This was clearly his way of dismissing her, so she wordlessly lifted her bag and unbuckled her seatbelt. Pivoting to put her feet on the pavement, she turned her head to look back at Hux.

 

She took in a long breath. "Do I have any choice in this?"

 

"No. No, you don't. A car will be here at eight. If it shows up without you, rest assured that I will find a way to get you there." Hux tipped his head, the phone already back in his hand. "Do go inside, Rey. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if you caught a cold."

 

She stared at him blankly before someone clearing their throat drew her attention to the driver standing behind the open door. She flushed at the realization that he was waiting for her to get out. This was a disaster. For the first time in ages, she was content with her life. She had friends. A Job. An apartment and a place at a respectable university. Now she was supposed to hand all that over willingly? Just like that? And for what? To marry a bloke she didn't even know? Hell, she never even planned to get married in the first place. And if Hux was anything to go by, god only knew what Solo was like.

 

The driver shut the door and got back into the car, leaving Rey to stand on the sidewalk of her apartment building. Was that it? She turned towards the door, but at the sound of Hux’s voice she whipped back around to see him peering out of the open window.

 

"Oh and Rey,-" He raised his eyebrow and the corner of his mouth lifted with it. "Bring your passport tomorrow."

 

"Why?"

 

“You get a new one. Eventually.”

 

He smirked at her for two rapid beats before the tinted window rolled up again. It wasn't even completely closed before the car drove off, leaving Rey staring after it, dumbfounded. What the hell did he mean by that? As if she would hand over her most valuable possession. She scoffed, flipping off the car as it disappeared behind the corner.

 

Rey was used to fighting her own battles. She managed after her grandfather had died, lived in London for three whole years, on her own, before moving here. She didn't need Hux's compassion. Fuck him. She would not go down without a fight. Especially a fight against that prick. And if Solo turned out to be the same, just more fun for her. Rey was not the kind of person to mess with, and she would make sure that Hux knew that. This meant war.

 

The noise of a window opening somewhere above her head broke her out of her thoughts.  Finn was gaping down at her.

 

"Bloody hell Rey, where have you been?"

 

She laughed. Yeah, _bloody hell_ indeed.

 

* * *

 

Kylo had been wrong. His day could get worse.

 

If he had known that he would have to hand over the last of his fucking clients to fucking Mitaka, Kylo wouldn’t have bothered to go to work that day at all. He had landed three high profile clients all in one month. Worked his ass off. And for what? To have fucking dumbass Mitaka take them from him.

 

He was officially barred from dealing with any of the firm’s clients in person. It no longer fit his professional profile, whatever the hell that meant. Snoke had given him his word that he would be able to keep working, and still, it was Snoke who broke the news to him. No more consulting, no more representation in court. Just fucking paperwork. And of course his new task; playing Diplomat. It wasn't as if he could get out of that one. At least for the next ten years.

 

He groaned at the thought, dropping his key onto the marble surface of the large kitchen island he never used. The loft was looking down on the glowing streets of New York, the floor to ceiling windows inviting everyone who lived in the higher levels of the buildings outside to glance at him whenever they liked. He didn't care. Let them look. It wasn't as if he was here much anyway.

 

A towering bookcase divided his office from the kitchen, hiding his usually cluttered desk from the main living area. It was the only space of his apartment where he didn't mind the chaos. No one but him, (and those who looked in from outside and above) could see the cluttered state of it.

 

He was about to move toward the fridge, contemplating whether it would pay off to scrap something together for dinner or if he should just order in when he heard it.

 

A clinking noise, barely detectable, sounded right from somewhere in his office.

 

Kylo stiffened. Only he had keys, and the concierge knew damn well to never let anyone come up without his permission beforehand. Slowly, he moved towards the room, stopping at the familiar scent clinging to the air. Only a few of his childhood memories were doused in that smell, the overwhelming sweetness of bergamot and jasmine yanking them from the depths of his mind. Kylo worked his jaw, taking a breath through his slightly parted lips. The mixture passed over his tongue and into his throat where the sharpness of the fragrance lingered uncomfortably. His mother was here. Uninvited.

 

She was standing beside the small table holding his liquor. A slight tremor in her hand moved the ice against the glass as she filled it with the last of his whiskey. Leia's aura always hid the fact that she wasn't the young and invincible politician anymore. It was moments like these that Kylo was painstakingly reminded of the fact that his actions over the last few years might have accelerated that process unnecessarily.

 

"Drinking my alcohol mother,” he said. “Whatever shall I think of that?"

 

She could offer a rebuttal, something sarcastic, because sarcasm was always easier than having an actual conversation. But Leia chose the more infuriating route, cutting straight to the core of his shitty day.

 

“Have you met her yet?”

 

He walked over to the cart and filled a glass for himself, watching through the reflection of the window as his mother took a seat behind his messy desk. “Met who?”

 

“You know who, Ben.”

 

He lifted the glass to his lips, the streets below glowing white and red.

 

“Did you even look at her file?” she pressed but he didn't answer that either.

 

“I see.” Leia sniffed with evident disapproval, but Kylo couldn't care less. It was none of her business what he did and didn't do. He just happened to choose to forget the file with the girl's information at work. In his office. Inside the document shredder.

 

”Very well. Her name is Regina,-" Leia continued in the even, modulated tone she always used when dealing with one of his moods. He hid his scowl behind the glass, gulping its entire content in one go. "-and Rey, well, Rey was arrested this morning.”

 

He choked on his drink. The stinging sensation of the alcohol shooting up his nose set his entire throat on fire and the coughing fit that followed did little to sooth it.

 

"What do you mean she got arrested?" he asked perplexed, his voice hoarse.

 

"She refused to sign the Diplomat's agreement. I even think a brawl might have taken place. Apparently, she shouted down the entire City Hall as they dragged her off," Leia snickered at the shocked look on her son’s face. "I think her words were 'Fine, put me behind bars. I'm not going to marry some tosser. You'll have to drag me by my hair and if you do, I can guarantee you my teeth leave lovely bite marks on anyone who dares to try.'"

 

He was going to have to spend the next ten years with a rascal, Kylo thought, his brow furrowing at the glint in his mother's eyes.

 

She only smiled and lifted the crystal glass towards her lips to take another sip of his whiskey. "I already like her."

 

Kylo blinked. He was trying, and trying hard, to not let his indignation show on his face. He knew that his mother would use it against him the very first chance she got. The question on his mind now was why she seemed pleased about the match and that girl Rey, in particular, all of a sudden.  It hardly fit her or the Resistance's agenda. She definitely hadn't been happy when they announced the verdict. Not on his count of course. God forbid. It was a setback for the Resistance and the Resistance alone. He just happened to be collateral damage; Snoke's collateral damage as she liked to call it. Kylo crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“Why are you here, mother.”

 

"I know you, Ben." She peered at him over the rim of the glass which was covered in fingerprints and lipstick. "And I know that you are going to use that legal knowledge of yours to exploit every loophole in the system you can find. Probably making this as difficult as humanly possible for everyone involved."

 

He hummed. “You mean the council? Or are you talking about your friends in the Resistance?”

 

Leia continued as if he hadn't said a word. "I know that you have no desire to actually parade around this match more than strictly necessary, the usual ceremony for one. I heard that two major television companies are already fighting for the broadcasting rights. And that only entails the States. The entire world will turn its gaze towards you the moment the official announcement is made, there is no hiding from that. But as I said, there are ways around it all as I am sure you already know."

 

Kylo reached for a bottle of scotch, breaking the seal with practiced movements. “And you are here to stop me.”

 

“Of course not. I took the liberty to call Amilyn myself. She is willing to meet both you and the girl to go over your options tomorrow morning.”

 

“Careful mother, your rebellious side is showing,” he said mockingly from the other side of the room.

 

"I also talked to her about Snoke. Have you given any more thought to-"

 

“Why do you even care? It is none of your god damn business,” he seethed. She had no right to meddle with his job nor with his deal with Snoke. He was the one who had welcomed Kylo with open arms once he emancipated himself from his parents. He was the one who helped him build a new identity, who paved his way to become one of the top attorneys in the state. Not his mother, the senator, but Snoke, enemy of the Resistance and therefore the thorn in her side.

 

“You know it damn well is if Snoke is involved.”

 

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he feigned.

 

Leia, on the other hand, pushed on. “Ben, please. He is using you. Once he gets hold of who he is after, and you’ve outlived your usefulness, you'll be next on his hit list. You know that the Resistance is well aware of what you and Hux have been doing for the last two years, don’t you,-"

 

He leaned his head back and let out a harsh breath. Yes, yes he knew. And it was fucking exhausting to always stay two steps ahead of the Resistance and his prying mother.

 

She sighed. "We know that you're looking into a rumor of a possible descendant in Prague-”

 

"Enough!" His fingers clenched around the glass in his hand. He hated it when she did that. Treated him like a child that was caught playing with a box of matches. As if he didn't know what was at stake. For a second he pictured the crystal glass shattering if he flung it across the room and against the wall behind her. He swallowed hard.

 

"Oh, spare me your fucking concern, mother." Kylo shot back. "My professional life is and will remain, none of your fucking business. So stay out of it. I can manage Snoke quite well without you or the Resistance interfering." He sneered. "Have I made myself clear?"

 

He counted five beats of his heart before Leia finally nodded and pushed herself out of the chair, both hands resting on top of the desk. “Fine. Let’s do this your way then."

 

Oh, he should have known. As if she would give up that easily.

 

"As Snoke's pawn, it is you who'll pay the consequences first. All of the jobs you’ve been doing for him over the last 8 years, they will fall back onto you, Ben. I can't watch you fall for his greed. And you know it. “

 

“So don't,-” he said in a voice so bitter and venomous, he almost sounded like the night when he had told her that he was filing for emancipation.

 

Leia shook her head. "Why does every conversation we have, end like this?"

 

"Social niceties have never been a strong suit of this family," Kylo offered stiffly. "And you know that it was my choice. There is little for you to do about that mother. Now if you'll excuse me, I am rather tired of your visit. Feel free to see yourself out." He gestured toward the living area. "You know where the door is.“

 

“Very well. Just do me a favor and keep your anger in check when you talk with Amilyn tomorrow. And don’t let it out on the girl either. She is just as much a victim here as you. She must be in a state.”

 

“I bet,-” he said dryly as Leia squeezed his arm after picking up her coat from the back of the chair where she had dropped it. Despite his harsh words, he followed her out into the living room. He would not be surprised at all if she just walked straight into his bedroom and started going through his drawers. Kylo eyed the chaos on his desk over his shoulder. Everything looked as it had that morning before he left for work. He narrowed his eyes. It was best to get her out of his apartment as quickly as possible. When his gaze fell back down onto the petite woman, the crease between her shrewd brown eyes, he thought, looked suspiciously like she was scheming. Years of experience told him he would not like whatever she was about to say.

 

"You know, I could come with you tomorrow, make sure-"

 

He opened the door for her, ready to argue when she stopped mid-sentence. Armitage Hux, fist hovering in the air mid-knock, stood right before them. His shirt was wrinkled but still tucked into his black pressed trousers. Kylo smirked. He looked exhausted.

 

"Armitage. What a surprise," Leia said, smiling her politicians' smile.

 

"Ma'am," he answered, inclining his head. As always, they had, in the way of theirs, turned it into a show of pretense.

 

"Stop brown nosing my mother, Hux," Kylo drawled, shifting to lean against the doorframe and ignoring the other man's glare.

 

Leia raised an eyebrow, fastening the last of the buttons on her rose colored coat, saying, "Your friendship will always remain a mystery to me."

 

"Believe me, you are not alone," Hux replied, and moved aside to make space for her to step into the hallway.

 

She turned back to look Kylo straight into the eyes, finger raised. "Remember, be nice. And listen to what Amilyn has to say."

 

"Goodnight, mother. Please feel welcome to not drop by again," he smiled sarcastically.

 

She frowned. "I raised you better than that."

 

"You didn't raise me at all."

 

She hummed but didn't say anything else, clearly not willing to go down that particular road. Not with someone else listening in. This was one of the rare times Kylo was actually happy that Hux was here. But he'd never admit it out loud. Meanwhile, his mother turned her attention back towards the Irishman.

 

"It was nice seeing you, Armitage." She only offered a curt nod to Kylo before marching off towards the elevator.

 

Both of them waited until the door closed behind her. "What do you want Hux?" Kylo asked, his eyes still fixed to the closed elevator doors. It was about time for this day to finally be over, so whatever Hux wanted, it better be good.

 

"I met the future Mrs,-" he paused, seeing Kylo's bored expression. "I got curious. So I did some digging."

 

"And?"

 

His usual smirk turned wolfish. "I think you might want to see this for yourself."

 

* * *

 

 

Kylo spent the entire night going over what Hux had found out about the girl. Things didn't add up. Literally. Her finances where anything but normal, considering that she was a student with a scholarship. Yes, she was of notable descent. Kylo himself was living of off the old money of his family.  Her line, the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Family, however, had long dried up. She had recently inherited a small estate somewhere on the English East Coast, but there were no records that she'd sold it. So how did she finance it all?

 

And there was more. Out of all the people she could work for, it had to be fucking Maz Kanata who took her in. Fucking Maz, that old bat who not only was sort of a colleague of his goddamn father but also an ally to the cause of the Resistance. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more. Hux had immediately suggested reporting the girl to the Grand Court as a Resistance spy. But they couldn't be sure that she actually was one of them, could they? No, if she really was planted deliberately into this whole scheme, they would use it for their own advantage.

 

His coffee machine was starting to groan from the amount of water he chased through it to stay awake by the time the first broadcast of the morning news sounded from the tv. He was not going to wait until the meeting with Holdo in two hours. He had to see for himself.

 

Her apartment was located on the second floor of a typical New York brick building hidden in between two narrow streets in the heart of Harlem. As expected, he didn't have any trouble getting in. The security was pathetic. The first doorbell he tried was an older man, buzzing him in without further questioning.

 

There wasn't an elevator either. The door to her apartment was as hideous looking as all the other ones in the hallway, except for the colourful picture of a butterfly made from what appeared to be some kid's handprints. Kylo frowned and checked the information on his phone. It was the correct door. He knocked and waited for approaching footsteps. Ten seconds passed without any sign from inside the apartment so he tried again.

 

"Yes, yes, I'm coming,-" a female voice called out, followed by a muffled thump of something crashing to the floor. “Shit. Stupid bike. Finn, I swear to god I’ll throw the bloody thing out the window…”

 

He honestly didn't expect much, but when the door swung open even his expectations were underwhelmed with what was revealed.

 

She looked young. And ordinary. Strands of brown hair were framing her face, the ponytail at the back in the process of unravelling. Her arms and shirt were covered in blue stains... of paint? His mouth twitched. Overall, she did not strike him as someone who would be hard to crack.

 

"Yes?" The girl asked, curling her fists under her arms. This was going to be easier than he expected. He tried to smother a smirk as he offered her his hand to shake.

 

"Ben Solo. I think we have an appointment," he said, satisfaction rising in his chest as the color drained from her face. Yeah. _This was going to be fucking child's play._


	4. If thou dost marry, I’ll give thee this plague for thy dowry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, would you believe me if I told you I got sucked into a time vortex and that this was the reason why it took me ages to post this update? I'm sorry. It will probably happen again. Like with a 90% chance; maybe even 94%... BUT the good news is, the next one is almost finished and if my lovely friend AngstyWriter is up to another challenge, then chapter 5 will be up in no time! *fingers crossed, spits over shoulder, dances covered in mud underneath a half-moon* A big thank you and an awkward cyber hug to my beta AngstyWriter, who has become my very own fairy godmother, turning this pumpkin into something we can all enjoy. Seriously, without her this would be a poor version of what it is right now! Another thank you goes out to all you amazing people who not only stick around and read this stuff, but also take the time to write such beautiful and heartwarming comments. Thank you!

Rey only glanced at the stranger outside her apartment before she threw what she hoped was a scalding glare towards the bike she had just fallen over. The wave of cold smelling morning air he brought with him already started to mingle with the stagnant air of the slightly bedraggled building, but it wasn’t enough to draw Rey's full attention. If this was Hux’s way of messing with her, sending the car to pick her up over an hour early, then he really deserved a kick to his shin. Ready to send the man she assumed to be the driver away again, her mouth snapped shut when he began to speak. 

"Ben Solo,” the man said, “I think we have an appointment.“

The usual morning clatter from the other apartments was sucked from the air around her, amplifying his rich baritone voice and drawing her full attention on him. 

Rey jerked her fists from under her arms, rubbing her suddenly clammy hands against the side of her jeans. Hux had been tall, but she had to crane her neck to meet Solo’s eyes.  

Those eyes. 

She swallowed hard. 

His irides seemed to be rimmed with cunningness as they boldly stared back at her. Blimey. But there was more. His slightly asymmetric face was hard-edged, but at the same time soft. It almost seemed as if it tried to shroud his secrets and prevent others from stealing them off his plump lips. The color of his black sweater peeking from between his open coat paled against the ebony hair falling around his face. If she had to picture the human embodiment of a supernova, Ben Solo would be it. This was a nightmare. This was not the face she had pictured. Far from it. He was actually someone she would follow with her eyes if she’d spotted him walking on the other side of the street while she happened to glance out the window of Maz’s studio. Or if he sat on the subway a few seats away from her, face buried in a newspaper while Rey tried to refrain from looking at him every few seconds. An instant attraction she’d daydream about while making dinner, or tidying up the paints, or just before she fell asleep. A daydream but nothing more. 

And yet, there he stood, waiting for her to shake his hand as if they were about to broker a business deal. As if they were mutuals. As if they were on the same side. But while he was dressed like he was about to attend brunch at a high-end restaurant, eating shit like fish eggs on gourmet toast while nursing a champagne flute, Rey’s stained shirt and torn sweats would have still looked out of place on a waste disposal site. He clearly was one of them. One of the few posh people dictating this world. A well-put-together looking bastard who probably expected everyone to cater to his every whim. And still, something told her that his slightly hunched shoulders weren’t a product of his absurd height. Nor did she think that the tension in his jaw was due to stress. 

He looked at her, an almost hostile edge distinct in his gaze. Rey stared back, waiting for him to break their stare off. But instead, he studied her with probing intensity, a muscle in his cheek twitching as he drew in a silent breath through his mouth. 

“Aren’t you going to ask me in?”

“No,” she murmured absentmindedly, eyes wide.

“No?” He pursed those plump lips as if he was attempting to suppress a smirk, but Rey caught the amusement trying to break free. He was still holding out his hand, long pale fingers waiting for her to do the same. When she didn’t, his posture changed and so did his expression. She could see the muscles on his temples tense as he clenched his jaw. The quick change of his mood almost made her miss how he flexed his hand as he drew it back, raising the other one to rake his fingers through his hair. But she hadn’t.He acted as if she’d just insulted ever single one of his ancestors with the foulest words known to humankind by refusing to shake his hand.

He stepped closer, his flattened mouth and the tight flexion of his jaw undermining his imposing demeanor. His tells were brief and quick in succession. So tiny most would dismiss it as jitters or too much coffee on an empty stomach. Perhaps he was itching for his first smoke of the day, or he hadn’t had a full nights sleep in a while. Still, something told her neither of it applied to Solo. He might not realize it, Rey thought, but his emotions flickered over his features like a broken television failing to settle on a channel. Arrogance, curiosity, anger, contempt, and back to arrogance again. Almost as if he himself wasn’t sure what emotion to feel. 

That irked her curiosity. 

His gaze flitted downwards, and for a second she thought he was really going to be that kind of asshole and stare at the worn out neckline of her shirt. With an appropriate insult already resting on the tip of her tongue, extruded claws bared, she suddenly realized that he was actually staring at her hands. Her color speckled hands, dry paint flaking to rain down in tiny blue particles toward the hardwood floor. 

She shook her head, cheeks warming, and quickly thrust her arms behind her back. “Yes-, I mean- no- ju-just hold on a second. How did you know where I live?”

“Hux,“ he answered, shoving both his hands into the pockets of his coat. “So, may I come in?” his eyes flicked behind her into the interior of her tiny apartment. As his gaze returned to hers, she stepped closer to the wall and closed the door around her, blocking his view with a frown. 

“You may not,“ she shot back, jerking her right arm forward to find the glass of her watch covered in the blue substance as well. For God’s sake. She had to stop wearing it when she painted. If her grandfather could see her now, he would talk her ear right off for it, she mused, licking her thumb and rubbing at the dry paste to reveal the numbers underneath. “I mean, it’s too early.”

Ben Solo scoffed. “It’s never too early if you live in New York. Traffic is hell already.”

“Hux said a car would pick me up.”

“Hux-,” he huffed, “says many things, and still few of them are actually useful. I suggest we share a taxi. Get to know one another, complicate Hux’s day a bit. There couldn’t be a better start to a morning.”

“A taxi?”

“Less conspicuous. There might be people lurking around. Eager to get the first scoop,” he said, popping the p at the end.

Frowning, she glanced back inside the apartment and at the still closed door to Finn’s room. This was where sensible people would simply scoff, shake their heads and reject his absurd suggestion. Yes, most people definitely would. He was a stranger. Period. A stranger that felt awfully like an enigma she needed to solve, her insane mind added, and she would have slapped herself silly for it if Ben Solo wasn’t still waiting for her to start talking again. As much as she wanted to deny it, there was something intriguing about him. Now, if that was a good or bad thing remained yet to be seen.

“I’m going to go change,” she said. “Just wait here.”

“Out here?” He narrowed his eyes incredulously. Did he honestly expect her to just let him in? A complete stranger who, by the look of it, could easily overpower someone of Rey’s physique? Yeah, not bloody likely. 

“Yes, make yourself comfortable, I’ll be a while.” With an overly cheery smile, Rey moved to close the door in his face. She was anticipating the spark of satisfaction at hearing it fall into the lock, marking her first win. But the door merely bounced. That bastard had shoved his foot right onto the threshold! 

Solo smirked at her through the crack in the door, but where Hux’s had been vile and condescending, his was dark and porous like coal. Rey was sure that if she’d traced her fingers across his lips, they would come away black. She clenched her fist around the doorknob. He clearly thought he had the upper hand. But if he expected her to just let him walk over her, he was about to find his ego tits up. A swift kick to the tip of his black leather shoe was all she needed to catch him off guard and dislodge his foot from in-between the door. His protest was cut off by the lock and Rey couldn’t help but smile when she heard him curse through the wood. This was even better than just shutting it in his face. 

“Git,” Rey whispered, before turning around to find Finn staring at her with bleary eyes.

“What was that?” he asked, picking up the bike she had tripped over to put it back against the wall right beside his now open bedroom door. She bit the inside of her cheek, taking a deep breath to clear her head. She had to get her mind back on track.

“Stop parking that bloody thing out here, I almost broke my neck. Again.” As if they had the space to spare in the first place. Three people and a bike were one occupant too many. And if she had a say in it, the bike would be the first thing to get the boot.

“Sorry,” he rubbed the side of his neck. “Who was that at the door?”

She snorted, “Ben Solo,” and disappeared into her room.

“No shit, he’s here?”

“Yep,” Rey said as she picked up the clothes she had put out the day before. Not that it was anything special. Just a pair of black jeans and a midnight blue jumper she had bought back in spring when she still lived in London. Simple and comfortable. 

When Rey emerged back into the hallway, Finn’s gaze was soft. “You sure you don’t want me to come with you?”  

Rey stiffened, fighting hard to keep the irritation rising in her chest from showing on her face. She hated it when people treated her as if she wasn’t capable of fighting her own battles. Rey knew he meant well, of course he did, but she still couldn’t prevent that treacherous feeling from coiling in her gut. With some effort, she produced a poor copy of a grin. “I don’t think they would be happy if you did.” 

“More the reason to come along.”  

“I’ll be fine,” she insisted and made her way to their shared bathroom, her gaze landing on the brown parcel on the tiny table by the living room. The table was usually reserved for their keys and random menus of various takeaways around their block. Now the packet, no bigger than a textbook, lay on top of the many colorful brochures. It was the last one, the last delivery she had agreed to and Rey was glad to see it go. She cleared her throat. “Just please don’t forget to drop the parcel off at Maz’s. No detours and no tardiness, understood?And please let her know that I’m sorry and that I’ll call her later today.” 

He nodded, but Rey still wasn’t convinced he got how serious this all was. “I mean it, Finn. She needs to get that delivery by noon today.”  

“I will,“ he crossed his heart,“promise.” 

“Thanks,” she said and closed the bathroom door behind her. At the thought of Solo still standing outside their flat, Rey flung the door back open. “And not a word about this to Maz,” she warned, jerking her head towards the door and pointing a finger at Finn as he looked over his shoulder at her in surprise. She step back into the bathroom, still not really feeling great about transferring the task to Finn. But what choice did she have? With this whole clusterfuck there was no way of telling if she’d make it to the studio on time. So Finn it was, whether Rey liked it or not.  

She took her time getting ready, very well knowing that the man outside the apartment was probably not used to someone making him wait. She even went to get a cup of tea, absentmindedly blowing away the steam while staring across their living slash dining room, at the still locked front door. The sound of approaching sirens shortly overshadowed the low throb of a jackhammer somewhere outside their kitchen window before it faded again. Early morning or not, the city was as active and shifting as always. 

Finn sat on one of the only two chairs in their tiny kitchenette sucking on a spoon full of milk and cereal. He followed her gaze, frowning. “Is he still out there?” 

“Yup.”

“You are not going to ask him in?”

“Nope.”

“That bad, huh?” 

She hummed, thinking that this was yet to be determined. Maybe it was because there was something familiar tucked into the creases of his eyes as if he had slipped from one of the many paintings she had studied until she knew every brushstroke by heart. It could be all play; just bait to lure her in.  

A calculated trap.  

Rey was curious how long she could make him wait. Maybe he had left without her already? There still was the car Hux was sending to pick her up, but it wouldn’t be here for another forty minutes. She chewed at the inside of her cheek, puffing it and letting out the air when a knock sounded from the door. So he hadn’t left then. What a pity. 

Sighing, she put her still full cup of tea into the sink. Better get this over with then, she thought and grabbed her grey wool coat and the file Hux had burdened her with. If she had to wager, she wouldn’t put a single penny on Hux being someone with her best interest in mind. Which was why she had spent most of her night reading and rereading the document, looking for weak spots while gnawing at the inside of her cheek until it started bleeding again. Of course there weren’t any, at least to Rey’s untrained eye, but she still didn’t sign the agreement. She wouldn’t yet concede defeat, not before she got to hear what that Senator had to say about this whole mess.

She gripped the cold handle but didn’t pull it. Standing to her full height and squaring her shoulders, she turned her head to find Finn’s eyes already on her.

“Remember Maz, will you,” she repeated quietly. 

Finn stood and walked the few steps toward the hallway to lean against the doorframe. A sweet waft of milk and cereal followed him, but she hadn’t felt hungry since her conversation with Hux the evening before. “Sure,” he said, rubbing his neck, “I’ll see you at the lecture later today?”

“Let’s hope." 

“They can’t keep you the entire day, can they?” 

She shrugged, the metal underneath her fingers beginning to grow warm from the blood rushing through her clammy hands. “Honestly? I have no fucking clue what they can and can’t do at this point.” 

Finn grimaced.“Good luck.”

She gave him a timid grin, already bracing herself for Solo’s anger. To say she was surprised to find him leaning casually against the opposite wall, arms crossed would have been the understatement of the century. Most people would have said he looked bored, but to Rey, it almost seemed as if his glance held some sort of unmet expectation. As if she failed some test she didn’t know about. 

“That was very mature of you,” he deadpanned, pushing himself off the wall. There was that twitch again, right beneath his left eye, but it only lasted a fraction of a second before his expression became unreadable. 

“No idea what you are talking about, mate,” she feigned and closed the door behind her before Finn could butt in. Best to keep those two particular worlds apart for a while longer. “Alright, let’s go then,” she chirped and marched past him and towards the stairway. 

Her entire back tingled from the knowledge that he was right behind her as she trudged down the stairs. The dark and narrow space set off her warning bells for the first time since laying eyes on him. As if he was about to swallow her like a black hole pulling entire planets from their axis. Either way, the moment the sharp morning air blew right through her coat and her jumper Rey let out the warm breath trapped inside her lungs. It danced in a cloud before it dissipated into thin air to reveal what he hadn’t bothered to mention before she made him wait for almost half an hour. 

She froze on the spot. 

A taxi was idling at the curb, and by the looks of it, it must have been the same one he took to get here.

A slight pressure at the small of her back triggered some primal instinct and her spine curved to create some distance to shake it off. She hadn’t realized that he had stopped right behind her. Rey took a deep breath, his clean and sharp scent burning itself onto her tongue. He was right there, somewhere over her left shoulder and she could have sworn she felt the steam from his breath moving over her neck and cascading down her spine. But he surely wasn’t standing that close, was he? This was not ok. This was what Rey hadn’t considered at all when she was told she'd have to marry a stranger. The treacherous sliver of curiosity that she had pressed against her ribcage flared up again, but Rey choked it back towards its constraints and cleared her throat. “You had it wait for you the entire time?” 

“Of course I have,” he murmured right above her left ear, the cloud of his breath mixing with her own short huff. 

Before she could decide whether she should just leg it and put as much distance between them as the narrow island of Manhattan would allow, or to turn and tell him how inappropriate and uncomfortable his proximity was, he moved away and towards the yellow car. 

She tried to blink away the storm hacking at her mind as he pulled open one of the backdoors to stick his head in and talk to the driver. “New York County Courthouse, and like I said, no need to rush.” 

He nodded at Rey who was still frozen where she stood. “Get in.”

But she didn’t. Rey was rooted to the sidewalk and it only took a few seconds for him to notice. His blank expression didn’t hold long until it started to jump through the different tells she’d already seen back in the hallway again. She watched him and when he finally settled on a scowl, Rey tilted her head as if she were trying to solve an especially difficult math equation. 

This was probably not going to go the way she thought it would. What if it wasn’t Hux or the impending marriage that she’d have to worry about? What if the real threat was the man taking the spot beside her? Rey pressed her lips in a thin line and started to move towards the car, the file in her left arm bending from the force of pressing it against her chest. Solo followed her with his eyes but remained silent as she brushed past him to get into the vehicle. She couldn’t make sense of his reactions and the more she thought about it, the bigger her fascination with this enigma of a man got. Damn the arranged marriage thing. This might be a whole other battle after all. 


	5. One woe doth tread upon another’s heel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I am so very sorry.
> 
> The last few weeks have been hectic and I just haven't had time to write. I promise I haven't given up on this story! In fact, the next few chapters are already outlined and ready to be turned into real chapters. The bad news is, today is my last day of freedom before uni starts back up again and to make things worse, I have the next five weeks crammed with study sessions, research projects, and exams. So be patient should I not manage to update during those coming weeks. Another big sorry goes out to every kind soul who has taken the time to leave me such lovely and kind messages. I read them all and I promise you’ll get a reply asap! And of course, again, this wouldn’t be possible without the kind heart of my beta and friend [AngstyWriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngstyWriter/pseuds/AngstyWriter) . She’s a champ, and she’s got something very exciting on the way so I advise you all to keep an eye open :) 
> 
> Until then, enjoy.

Believing himself quite brilliant for having the girl accept to share a cab and disregard Hux’s orders at the same time, Kylo couldn’t keep the small grin from showing on his lips the entire 38 minutes it took to get to court. He didn’t care if the girl saw, nor was he particularly interested in engaging in any sort of conversation while the car crawled through the dense morning traffic. The girl seemed to think along the same lines because all she did was stare at the back of the seat in front of her, brows knit while chewing on her lower lip. He had expected her to grow nervous the nearer they got to their meeting place, her albeit small knowledge of Hux’s personality certainly enough to get her to shake in her seat. But the slightly distracted expression on her face didn’t waver as they exited the car.

She silently trailed after him as they walked into the old building, his steps worth at least two of her own. By the time they had worked their way through the loitering crowd in the lower levels and reached the top of the stairs of the second floor, he could hear her elevated breathing from trying to keep up with him. He wasn’t even consciously aware of turning his head towards her, but the sound of oxygen rushing through her nose in short quick bursts was somehow distracting. Her cheeks were flushed, but he couldn’t tell if it was because of the cold air outside or the exertion of keeping pace with him. To his own disdain, the way the color accentuated the freckles on her skin gave her serious and silent features something beguiling. The irritation rising in his gut tugged the corners of his lips downward, too occupied with frowning at the girl’s profile that Kylo almost missed the human incarnation of Mephistopheles himself storming towards them.

Hux was livid. It didn’t even take a full three seconds for him to stride the short distance, the stench of cold cigarette fumes he brought with him smacking Kylo in the face as if he had walked right into an invisible wall. Hux must have gone through the entire hidden pack of Marlboro’s stashed deep inside his briefcase to create such an eye-watering smell. And it wasn’t even eight a.m. yet. Kylo, more than familiar with the snarl growing on Hux’s face as he towered over the girl beside him, recognized the nervous twitch of his lips for what it was. Pure rage. Not that he had expected anything else.

“Was I not clear enough last night, Ms. Kenobi? Did I stutter when I told you that a _bloody_ car would come and pick you up?“

To Kylo’s surprise, the girl didn’t flinch back. She simply cocked her head, regarding the man before her as if he was a toddler throwing a fit over the most trivial thing.

“The habitual method of greeting someone is usually by saying ‘good morning’,  Hux,“ she said calmly, languidly removing her hideous looking knitted gloves by pulling at the tip of each finger. “And, I chose to take a cab instead.“

 Kylo smirked. There was the girl’s impertinence rearing its head. Personally, he quite enjoyed witnessing it being unleashed on Hux, the sneer twisting his pale face at her answer definitely intimidating to an unaccustomed eye. But the girl remained steadfast, merely blinking up at him. Either she was stupid enough not to realize that she was on the fast track of causing a meltdown of Hux’s carefully crafted aloof demeanor or the girl simply wanted to see blood spilled.

 “Oh, you chose to- Listen, dear. You do well to remember who is holding the reigns here-“ 

“-I thought you worked for me, not the other way a-“

 “Hux,“ Kylo warned, cutting off the girl as he spotted Senator Holdo over Hux’s shoulder. She was hurrying towards them, a white steaming cup in one hand and a briefcase dangling from the other. What superb timing she had, Kylo thought as the clicking of her heels pecked away the tension in the hallway. The clean lines of her charcoal colored trousers swung around her ankles as she walked, the grey fitted jacket and knit white turtleneck cutting a graceful silhouette most young women could only dream about. Her outfit would have been a paragon of elegant simplicity if it weren’t for her rebellious side manifesting itself in her ever-changing hair color. The last time he saw her over a year ago it had been a pastel blue. This season it was a whisper of violet.

 The Senator’s tall frame and lithe body bled sophistication with every step she took and he couldn’t help wondering what Holdo, with her eccentric hair and pressed clothes, must look like to the girl who peered at the approaching woman with interest shining in her eyes. Holdo smiled warmly at her, the wrinkle on her forehead deeper than Kylo remembered. Despite being over a decade younger than his own mother, the short coiffed hair neatly arranged in lilac curls around her thin face couldn’t hide the evidence that time didn’t spare anyone. Not even someone like Holdo.

 “Ben, Armitage, and you must be Rey. Please, come in,“ she said, skilfully unlocking the door with lithe fingers while balancing her mug and her bag in her right hand, the brown liquid barley sloshing around in its confines. Kylo’s mouth twitched at the bitter scent of coffee not mixing well with Hux’s cigarette stench as she ushered them into the room. 

Walking in last, Holdo dumped all her things on the empty surface of the mahogany desk which took up most of the limited space. The moment her hands were free, she enclosed the girl’s hand with both of her own as if she’d wanted to pull her closer like a long lost child in need of comfort. Though Kylo knew that the girl wouldn’t need it. She was far from what he first expected, his interpretation of a small lost kitten quickly turning into a prowling lynx calculating when to pounce. Cunning, agile, and definitely not easily intimidated.

With a wave of her hand, the Senator directed them towards the only other two chairs in the room, banishing Hux to stand and lean against the dusty window ledge to Kylo’s right, legs crossed at the ankle. Brows creased and mouth curled downward, his eyes roamed over the small space like a hawk on the lookout for prey until they settle on the girl. What a dramatic brat.

Kylo regarded the room with rising contempt. The office was small in that awful way that invited one’s imagination to go wild, thinking that the walls were moving closer, only to find that they hadn’t moved at all. It was painted white, and it had only one window which faced an air shaft, the towering stature of Hux blocking the weak morning glow from providing any sort of enhancement to the grim space. Overall, the office was just like the one his mother used to leave him in whenever she had dragged him along to her job. One afternoon she hadn’t returned for lunch as promised and Kylo hated the bitter taste crawling up his throat at the memory of his panic when he thought she had forgotten him. He had been hungry and scared and by the time he had worked up enough courage to call Han from the phone on his mother’s desk, the sun had been casting long shadows on the brown carpet beneath his dangling feet. With the cord of the receiver wound tight around his finger,  he begged his father to pick him up. He must have been eight, maybe nine, and if he concentrated hard enough, he could pull himself back into his childhood kneeling in his bedroom as he pressed his ear against the cold ingrain wallpaper. Though he wouldn’t have needed to. Their yelling match that night was one of their grandest and it was all because of him. As if Han had actually minded. Brows knit, and lips curled in a habitual half snarl at the memory, Kylo turned his attention back to the girl beside him.

She sat perched on the edge of her seat, waving her hands around as she talked. Not that he actually cared what she had to say. No, he’d stopped listening from the moment she began talking, her rushed words and incomplete sentences failing to hold his attention for long. Kylo had seen this too many times before in court to know that none of the feeble arguments she was clinging to would be strong enough to get her out of their shared predicament. The Senator clearly knew that too, her frown deepening with every syllable the girl exhaled. But while he would have cut her off several sentences ago, the Senator kept on listening with rapt attention and a continuous gentle bob of her head.  How precious. And unnecessary. The girl didn’t need to be coddled. He had it on good authority that she was stronger than she looked, he thought as he glanced down at this crossed feet and the small scratch she had left on his leather shoe earlier that morning. 

His elbow resting on the armrest of the chair was beginning to sting, the weight of his head cradled in his hand pinching the nerves until they throbbed. The way he sat automatically angled his upper body towards the girl beside him, placing Hux somewhere behind his back. Not that he needed to see his expression to know that Hux was still sulking like some insolent child being refused the opportunity to throw a fit.

Kylo decided to skim the day’s paper on his phone as the girl droned on, the slew of information far more appealing than paying attention to the rapid ramblings of his… _fiancée?_ Did that title even apply if he never actually proposed?  He swiped past an article headed ‘ _Series of mysterious threats sent to US Editor of Nova Post believed to be Works of Separatists_ ’. Sure. ‘ _Former Member of the Diplomatic System of Alliance facing riots in Capital as negotiations with_ US _threaten to Fail once again_ ’. What a surprise. ‘ _What are the Effects of Vitamin B12 Deficiency?_ ’ Seriously? ‘ _Dameron and Connix prepare to host annual fundraising Gala at the Met next Week - retired French Diplomat Calrissian expected to attend for the first time in 12 years’_. He almost huffed. It wasn’t hard to imagine why Lando would decide to crawl out of his lewd mansion on the French Rivera just to attend a gala. Most likely Kylo’s own mother was behind his sudden urge to travel, doubtlessly sharing the happy news of Ben Solo’s impending marriage, son to his long-lost friend and business partner Han Solo. Just like the attention seeker he’s always been.

His gaze moved away from his phone at the sudden absence of the girl’s blathering. What he found was more to his liking, Holdo’s thin mouth curling unhappily as she looked at the girl nervously scratching the side of her neck.

“I am sorry, Rey, but right now we do not have the necessary evidence to challenge the court’s decision. See, at your last doctor’s appointment on-,” the Senator scanned the paper in her hand, turning it and underlining something with her pen,  “July 20th, the blood sample they took? It was automatically compared to all the data in the registry. Because the sample was taken at a health facility operating under strict security regulations, the possibility of falsification or a slip-up is practically non-existent.”

The girl waved her hands in front of her, palms facing up, shoulders tense. “But this doesn’t make any sense. I’ve had my blood drawn many times before. So why now? What changed?” she sputtered. Again, Kylo saw and recognized her gestures for what they were. She finally began to realize that nothing that she said could tip the scale in her favor. They always did in the end.

The Senator nodded, placing her pen in the crack between the pages of her open notebook. “Nothing, my dear. In the end, it all came down to pure chance. We don’t know yet how, but your medical file was never digitalized. It slipped through the entire system. Granted, there has never been a similar case to yours, and I understand your frustration but-“

This earned her a scoff from Hux who finally decided to butt in. “Oh please, can’t we just move on already? I have other appointments to attend.”

The girl stared vacantly at Hux over Kylo’s shoulder, her fidgeting finger in her lap freezing. He expected her to throw another insult towards the Irishman but she only raised her chin before turning her head back to look at Holdo, who didn’t seem pleased with Hux’s interruption either.

“So this is it?” Rey asked in an unperturbed voice, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

“I’m afraid so,” the Senator said, with a strained smile.

There it was. Kylo hoped for the last bit of her determination to go up into flames, already preparing to dig his way through the ashes in order to find whatever would make her compliant. But he should have expected it by now that if one layer crumbled, another beneath it was ready to take its place. Silently, he watched her smooth her fingers over the fabric of her blue jeans, her hands steady throughout the movement— a detail he found extremely irritating.

She nodded, scooting to the back of her chair before clearing her throat. “Well, what’s going to happen now? What about university? My job?” 

Kylo also straightened in his chair. “You mean your job that doesn’t pay minimum wage? The one with no healthcare?” He scoffed and gestured around the room, “you have to admit, this is even better than winning the lottery.”

“I can afford health care on my own, thank you very much.“

Kylo leaned towards her, lifting his numb elbow off the armrest to ground his forearms on top of his thighs, forcing her to look directly in his eyes without a way of shrinking back. It was something his father often did when he was trying to broker with one of his shady business partners. He’d never admit it out loud, but it had quickly become one of the most effective tactics in his own intimidation repertoire. “Yeah, I was wondering about that. How do you do it?“ he muttered, watching her tighten her lips and narrow her eyes.

“None of your business, that’s how,” the girl shot back, crossing her arms. Well, this was a first. He rightened himself back up again and slowly leaned back in his chair, the stiff leather groaning from the movement. They stared at each other again like they had in her hallway, the feeling of déjà-vu prickling down his neck. Her eyes weren’t hostile, even though the bite of her words would have suggested otherwise. All he saw was curiosity, pupils dilated but focused. He gave her his best cyanide sweet grin in return.

The Senator cleared her throat, breaking their stare-off before he could take in the girl's full reaction to his grin. He did catch her clenching her fists though, tugging them closer beneath her crossed arms.

“Unfortunately, it is unlikely that you’ll be able to continue working at your current position. As for your education, your legal representative,-” Holdo gestured towards Hux who grimaced as if he had sucked an entire lemon dry, “can make an arrangement with the Dean so you’ll be able to do most of the lectures remotely. Of course, you are entitled to a personal tutor if you wish, to accompany you on your tour. I am sure Hux will-” 

“Tour, what tou-” the girl sputtered, but Kylo had had enough.

“Now that we have gone over that pointless discussion let’s talk about why we are really here today,” Kylo said, turning his entire focus on Holdo, “Amilyn, Leia told you why I need your help?”

Senator Holdo hesitated, blinking uncertainly at the girl who looked rather perturbed. He almost expected Amilyn to answer the girl’s sputtered question, but to his delight she merely frowned and clasped her hands on top of the large mahogany desk, looking directly at him. “Yes, of course. This is a matter for the Parliament, but I think I am able to find the necessary ballot for you to submit a request,” she said.

But before Kylo could answer, Hux cut him off. “When is the Parliament planning for them to go public?”

The Senator turned her face towards Hux. “Next week. At the annual Gala at the Metropolitan Museum. The press release announcing the match is scheduled for the day after tomorrow.”

Hux pushed himself off the ledge, wafting a fresh cloud of burnt tobacco towards them. “A week? You expect me to have her ready and presentable in a week? Have you taken a proper look at the girl? She’s got dirt under her nails, her hair looks like it doesn’t get in contact with water very often and I doubt she owns the wardrobe fit for someone of status.”

“For god’s sake, shut up Hux,” Rey snapped, turning her head to glare at him.

Hux sneered. “I already know etiquette training with you will be a right laugh.”  

Rey turned in her chair to face Hux completely. “I’ll be in good company then, because frankly Hux, you don’t seem to have any manners either.”

Kylo tried to suppress a smirk, failing when he saw the incredulous look growing on Holdo’s face. To have someone talk back at a person of status like Hux, a representative of the very law this society rested on, was something you usually only got to witness behind closed doors. Though the girl didn’t know that, did she? It was almost tempting to let her loose on the world of politics she was supposed to join, watching how her stubbornness would make the milk in their fucking tea cups curdle with her sharp tongue. Almost.

Having recovered from her insult, Hux moved back to his previous position against the sill, a contemptuous smirk already tugging at the corners of his mouth as he picked his nails. “Do you know how to dance? Mhmmm? How is your political knowledge? Do you have any clue who the current head of the council is? No? As I expected. I’m too scared to ask if you know how to use a fork. You probably use it to scratch your back.”

“Armitage that is enough. We have heard your concerns, as baseless as they appear to be,” Holdo said sternly, finally breaking her poise to put an end to this farce.  

Rey shook her head, mouth agape. “Why doesn’t he get an _arsemonger_ like him?” she said, gesturing towards Kylo and then at Hux whose smirk fell instantly.

“Because I am mature enough to avoid making an embarrassment out of myself as you both-” Kylo made sure to stare at Hux, “continue to do.“

Holdo cleared her throat, continuing in a firm voice before Hux could interject again. “Ben has the legal education to act as his own advisor. He requested to do so the moment it was announced that he would be let back into the Registry which the Grand Court granted.”

“And there is no way to get a new advisor?“

“I’m sorry Rey, but as callous as Armitage might appear at first, he was selected by the Parliament under thorough consideration. The only way will be if you request for a replacement after you and Ben have taken over the position as Diplomats. But I have to warn you, there aren’t a lot of requests that were able to get past the Council, let alone reach the Parliament.“

The girl opened her mouth and then shut it again, her back stiff. When Kylo was sure nothing more was going to come spewing out of her mouth, he turned his attention back towards Holdo.

“Can you get the necessary documents until then?”

“Wait, what documents?” Rey asked, frowning.

“Yes, with Rey’s signed agreement and the backing from some of the Parliament's members, I should be able to get it by tomorrow night. You should be able to sign them before the announcement of your match is being released to the press,” Holdo answered, but Kylo’s attention snapped back to his left arm at the slight pressure of the girl’s hand near his elbow. There was still some blue paint stuck between the glass and the casing of the old watch around her wrist, but contrary to Hux’s previous words, her nails looked clean and trimmed. He frowned down at them, four delicate fingers, her thumb disappearing in the finely knit fabric of his dark sweater.

“Ben, what documents?” she repeated in a low voice, the sound of his given name coming from her momentarily swiping the ground from beneath his feet. She might have sounded vulnerable to the others, but he wasn’t deceived. Her brows were furrowed, though her eyes looked just the way they had mere minutes ago. Focused, the intensity of her gaze more calculating than vulnerable. She was playing him. She, the girl, was trying to trick him into feeling compassion for her. It was kind of ironic for her to use emotions to influence him like that, especially after he had tried and failed only about an hour ago to do the same thing when he had crowded her on the sidewalk. He had expected her to shrink back, hoping to leave a lasting impression of fear and intimidation. But the girl had merely frozen, the side of her neck blushing pink as a sunrise on pale skin. 

Something flickered in her gaze and Kylo immediately knew she must have seen something in his face to know he had caught on to her tactic. Instantaneously, her expression shifted.

Now she met his stare with all gall, no guard, her eyes charged like she would take whatever he was going to throw her way and smack it right back into his own face. Like he said. A lynx ready to pounce. The girl wasn’t as single-sided as he’d hoped, and that was a problem. He needed someone pliable, someone he could use like a trojan horse to get what he had been after for the last five years now. Snoke wouldn’t be happy to hear that she wouldn’t be swayed easily. Not with the plan they currently had set. But strategies could always be adapted, and perversely enough, her underlying tenacity only stoked the urge in him to join her game. He’d break her until she was ready to join him in helping get Snoke what he wanted. He’d use her own strong-headedness against her, and she wouldn’t even realize it until all that was left of her was burned out cinder.

“What Documents?” Rey asked again with an edge to her voice, clearly unaware that he’d just signed her life away to the fate of arson. All he needed now was a spark, the matches already in his hands.

“The marriage certificate. We are going to elope.“ He hadn’t said it with any particular malice - quite the opposite, his words very matter of fact. But the girl still jerked back her hand as if she’d been burned by them. “Elope?“

“Do you know what usually happens when a new diplomat entity is being announced? They turn it into a game, and we are their pawns to stare at, to admire,-” he scoffed, “to love. They’ll want to witness every part of it. Photographers, hunting you down as they fit you for the perfect white gown. Reporters, crowding the lobby of the hotel they’ll hide you in just to get a glimpse at the blushing bride.” The corners of his mouth quirked up. “And it doesn’t help that my family’s reputation is damaged to the point where many would love to see me rot in a prison cell for a crime my grandfather committed. To have me ascend to a role of power certainly won’t please those people.“ He gave a mirthless laugh. “But be my guest. If that is what you want, I won’t stand in your way. I’m sure People magazine will put in a generous bid to get the first interview with the future Mrs. Solo. I hear their editorials are to die for,” he mocked.

They scowled at each other in silence, a muscle in her cheek twitching. Hux snickered, but Holdo gave Kylo a reproving look at his abrasive behavior towards the girl, annoyingly using the exact same expression his own mother used to wear whenever she scolded him as a child.

The girl hesitated for a pensive moment, before murmuring, “why aren’t you fighting this?” 

“Even if he could stop it, he wouldn’t,” Hux piped in, scratching his jaw. “No one jolts the System. It’s far easier to do that from within.”

She turned in her seat to look at Hux, the leather of the chair creaking from the movement. “What is that even supposed to mean?” she said, sounding more frustrated than hostile.

“He was bred for it, as much as he likes to deny it. It’s in his blood. But don’t be mistaken. If you believe this is merely about a marriage you are missing the bigger picture, dear. This is the world of politics. Of old aristocrats scraping for every little piece of attention this government is willing to give them without any regards to the damage they leave behind. And your significant other is about to join that game with a hatchet behind his back and a strategy too complicated for someone of your standing to wrap their little minds around,” Hux said with all the warmth of an arctic breeze.

“You know what Hux, you sound just like that crazy conspiracy bint outside the subway-station near my apartment. I think you even have the same hair color,” she calmly replied with a smile, though Kylo was pretty sure she was seething beneath her cool facade.

“You’ll understand soon enough what he’s trying to say,” Kylo interjected before Hux could throw something back at her face. Literally. At this point, Kylo wouldn’t have been surprised if Hux hauled the next best thing at the girl who still grinned acidly at him. He fixed her with a steady stare, silently warning her to better back off.

“What Hux meant to say is, we are trying to take advantage of a loophole in the legislation regulating the process of forming a new match. See, what they failed to do all those years ago in Athens was that they didn’t define how a match was meant to form their union. Many have gone the more public way, turning it into an event for the whole world to watch. That’s not what we are going to do.”

Holdo nodded. “That’s why we are here today, Rey. I can provide you with the necessary marriage certificate as well as the backing of several senators willing to discreetly act as witnesses to this union. You need their signatures for the certificate and the marriage to be legally sound.”

The girl leaned back in her seat. “But why do we need to rush into this?”

“The more control we have from the beginning, the easier it is to keep it that way once we are taking our official place as Dameron’s and Connix’s successors. We are not their pawns. Best to make them see that before they try to put you in their pockets.” Kylo’s eyes drifted back to Holdo. “We’ll wait until after New Year’s Eve to announce that we chose to marry in private. Case closed.”

“So by the end of the week we’ll be married?” she asked, her voice not quite steady at the end of her question.

“And what a happy occasion it will be,” Hux piped in sarcastically. But the girl only blinked, visibly trying to collect her thoughts. If she was already overwhelmed by this little information, Hux had his job cut out for him. Kylo scoffed, immediately drawing her attention back to him. Her expression was unreadable and distant as she stared at him before turning her gaze back towards Holdo. “What about that tour you mentioned, Senator?”

“I take it they won’t let us wait until next year, will they?” Kylo added, crossing his legs.

The Senator pursed her lips. “As far as I’m informed the Parliament is planning for you to depart the day after the gala. Use the elation from the announcement to make all of this more smooth. There is enough resistance and protest as it is, so by winning over our most important allies in the Federation, you’ll definitely make it easier for yourself once you’re due to take over from Connix and Dameron. The Council of the Grand Court may be favorable towards them, but once it’s you in their seat as head of the Council, it’s best to have as much support from the other countries as you can get.”

Kylo’s eyes narrowed. “They expect us to visit all of them? How long is this tour supposed to last? The entire year?”

“Of course not. As for the moment, the plan is for you to be gone from the day after the gala until the annual New Year's Eve celebration at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague at the behest of the Patron of the Federation. The member states will issue official invitations after we’ve announced the match of course, but some countries have already staked their claim to host you.”

“I wonder who that might be,“ Hux scoffed, exchanging knowing looks with Kylo. He himself had a faint idea which other Diplomatic pairs were eager to invite them and profit off the media frenzy their debut would entail. They were vultures. All of them.

The girl shot upright in her seat. “Wait, the Gala,“  she sputtered, outright panic freezing her features like a deer caught in headlights. ”I- I’ve never been to anything  like-, I mean-„

Hux sneered. “Don’t worry. I’ll make you learn everything you need to know by heart before then even if it means achieving the impossible,“ he said malevolently, his mouth twitching with a fake smile.

“Is he coming too? To that tour?“ Rey asked, crossing her arms over her chest again as she glowered at Hux. Kylo was beginning to think that he was in for a wild few weeks, the prospect of sharing a close space with both the girl and Hux likely to produce a mangled body before they had even reached the old continent. What a lucky bastard he was.

There was a pause where Holdo looked uncertainly between Hux and the girl, a despondent expression taking over her features.

“I’m afraid he is, yes. He’ll be your most important advisor on this tour, so I suggest the both of you-” Holdo glared at Hux, “try to get along.”

The girl huffed, slouching in her chair. “Fun- _fucking_ -tastic.”

“Very well,“ Holdo said with a hesitant smile, clasping her hands on top of the desk and looking at them expectantly. “All I need now is your signed consent, Rey. Do you have it with you?”

“I haven’t signed it yet,” the girl murmured, hooking her feet around the chair legs like a fifth grader. Come to think of it, she looked more like a teenager than an actual adult right now. That was something he had neglected to really think about. Her age. She was only twenty, not even allowed to buy a drink yet, at least not here in the States. Definitely not someone he would approach out of interest. No, she wouldn’t even register on his radar if she happened to be placed right in front of him. He clenched his eyes shut and massaged the bridge of his nose; conceding to the fact that this was something he would have to get used to. Her. Being his wife.

“Of course you haven’t,” Hux muttered under his breath but didn’t say anything else at the unimpressed look on Kylo’s face.

“I’ll need a pen,” Rey said, positively grinding the words out from between clenched teeth, clearly catching what Hux had said.

Kylo watched her scratch her signature onto the paper, putting too much pressure on the pen so the black ink left tiny dark droplets for the cellulose to absorb. She stared down at it, the implication of what she’d just agreed to probably not lost on her, though the meaningful looks he exchanged with Hux certainly were. This was it. The game was on. And she didn’t have a clue.

 

**Author's Note:**

> my Tumblr: firaemnes.tumblr.com


End file.
